Book Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication date: February, 2013

Hardcover: 336 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Series–this is the third in a series.

How I got this book: Bought


Why I chose this book: I love all of Ally Carter’s books.  I’ve been waiting for this installment in the Heist series for a while, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Synopsis: 

Katarina Bishop and W. W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world.  If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting – or stealing – whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line.  When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role.  But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir–this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt.  To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

Review:

What I loved most about this book was the deeper look into Hale’s life.  In the previous two books, we really only get to see one side of him, and that side lacks any kind of vulnerability.  But suddenly we get to see his family, and just how much he is an outsider to them.  We meet his parents, who don’t care about him, and learn more about his butler, Marcus, who’s been there for him from the beginning.  It was a little difficult at first to put together the previous Hale, who was flawless and confident, with this new Hale, who is hurt and needs help.

I also really love the dynamic between the family of thieves.  They’re so interesting, funny, and larger-than-life.  Carter writes it in a way that, even if the character is only mentioned once briefly, we get a sense for who they are and what their role is in their family.

I was expecting a plot twist at the end.  I’m always expecting something to happen with the heists that is completely different from what I think would happen.  And even though I was expecting it, I never would have seen the outcome that occurred.  It was truly brilliant.

A lot of times I feel like series should have a definite ending, and shouldn’t exceed a certain amount of books.  But this isn’t the case with Carter’s Heist series.  Everything is fresh and exciting, and I’m hoping for many more books to come.